Chocolate Chai Snack Cake
a cake for comfort
It’s been a heavy week and I think we could all use a little bit of cake right about now. I have in my notes app a list of recipe ideas I’ve been cataloguing for about 4 years. One of older recipe ideas on it reads “bad news in the world sheet cake”— a comfort cake that can be made with very minimal effort, meant to be eaten with a spoon straight from the pan every time you walk past it. That’s what this is, but with a little chai twist as a small homage to fall and its crackling leaves and warm fireplaces.
on the cake…
The base of this recipe is one of my very favorite cakes. I don’t remember where I originally saw the technique, or I would give credit and write the author a long, handwritten thank you note because the cake really is THAT good. But it starts with somewhat of a ganache base—sugars and a liquid (in this case, chai tea) are heated and then poured over chopped chocolate and butter until melted and smooth. A few dry ingredients (flour, leavening agents, cocoa powder, and salt) are whisked in and your left with a fudgy, ultra-moist cake. And it quite honestly only gets better the next day.
The frosting is a slightly unconventional whipped cream that uses a technique I saw on an Instagram reel years ago. Heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a homemade chai spice blend are blended together using an immersion blender rather than traditional whipping which results in a thick, dense whipped cream that more closely resembles a frosting. It’s delicious.
The chai in the cake is light and floral, and the frosting is bold and punchy and the whole recipe just works. I highly recommend eating it straight from the pan on the couch in the comfiest pants you own.
chocolate chai snack cake
makes one 8x8” cake
Ingredients:
for the cake:
120 g (1 cup) all purpose flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
106 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar
75 g (2.64 oz) dark chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp (40 g) unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup brewed chai tea
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
for the chai spice blend:
2 tbsp ground black tea
3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground all spice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp black pepper
for the frosting:
340 g (1 1/2 cups) heavy cream
2 tsp chai spice blend, recipe included
113 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Roughly chop chocolate and place in a large bowl with the butter. Set aside.
Combine sugar, brown sugar, and brewed chai tea in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, until mixture is boiling and sugars have dissolved. Pour the hot tea/sugar mixture over the chocolate and butter and let set for 5 minutes.
Whisk the chocolate coffee mixture until smooth and all of the chocolate and butter has melted. Whisk in the egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and whisk again until smooth and no lumps remain.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes in the pan and then remove from pan and cool completely.
While the cake is baking, whisk together the spices for the chai spice blend.
To make the frosting, combine heavy cream, chai spice blend, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large measuring cup or a medium bowl with high sides. Blend with an immersion blender for 3-4 minutes, until frosting is thick and stiff peaks form. Spoon frosting onto the cooled cake and smooth with a spoon or offset spatula.